Finish Nailers: Hands-On Review

The right air nailer can increase the speed and improve the quality of your finish work

I started using pneumatic finish
nailers ten years ago, to help speed
up production and do a better job
on the larger projects we'd started
taking on. Now I use them for
everything, from hanging and casing
doors to applying exterior trim.
I keep three compressors and seven
nailers going every day, and I have
carpenters on my crews who have
grown so accustomed to using them
that they might not know what to
do with a hammer and finish nail.
The decision to invest in a pneumatic
nailing system shouldn't be
taken lightly. In addition to the
nailer, which costs between $300
and $600, you'll have to buy a lot of
support equipment at startup —
compressor, hoses,